People app help

Applies to Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1

The People app is your address book and your social app all in one. You can add your contacts, see updates on social networks (like Facebook and Twitter), and keep in touch with friends and family on Skype—all from a single app.

The People, Mail, and Calendar apps work together. So when you email a contact from Mail, the app picks up that person's email address the People app (which is where their contact info lives).

All about contacts

Import contacts

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Settings.(If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Settings.)

Tap or click Accounts.

Tap or click Add an account, choose the type of account you want to add, and then follow the on-screen instructions.

Note

As of January 30, 2013, Google no longer supports new EAS (Exchange ActiveSync) connections in some scenarios, so how you add contacts to the People app might change. For more info, see How to sync Google services with Windows.

Add contacts one at a time

On Start, tap or click People.

Swipe in from the bottom edge to see the app commands.(If you're using a mouse, right-click within the app.)

Tap or click New contact.

Enter the info you want for this contact, and then tap or click the save button

If you want to add several contacts at once, you can import them into one of the accounts you've already added to the People app, and they’ll appear in the People app the next time it syncs.

Add a contact from an email

On Start, tap or click Mail.

Tap or click a message and then tap or click the name of the person who sent it or any of the recipients.

Tap or click Add contact.

Add any additional info (if possible) and then tap or click the save button .

You can only delete your Hotmail or Outlook contacts from the People app. If you've connected other accounts like Google, Facebook, or Skype, you'll need to go to that app or website to delete those contacts.

On Start, tap or click People.

In the search box, enter the name of the contact whose info you want to delete. You'll see a list of contacts as you type—tap or click the one you want.

Tap or click a contact.

Swipe in from the bottom edge to see the app commands.(If you're using a mouse, right-click within the app.)

Jump to a letter of the alphabet

By default, all contacts from the accounts you've added will appear in your contact list. However, you can choose to only see contacts from certain accounts. People you know on other networks will be hidden, but if you know someone on multiple networks, they'll still be visible. Also, your favorites won't be hidden no matter what accounts you choose, and everyone will be available in search results.

To change which contacts you see

On Start, tap or click People.

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Settings.(If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Settings.)

Tap or click Options.

Under Show only these contacts, clear the check box next to any networks you want to hide. To see contacts from that network again, select its check box.

When you pin a person to your Start screen, that person's profile picture and their Facebook status updates and Tweets will appear as a tile on Start. Tap or click the tile to get to their contact info. You can then quickly send them a text message or an email, or call, chat, or get on a video call with them on Skype.

On Start, tap or click People.

Tap or click a person you want to get to quickly.

Swipe in from the bottom edge to see the app commands.(If you're using a mouse, right-click within the app.)

Tap or click Pin to Start, enter a nickname if you want, and then tap or click Pin to Start.

Add a favorite

Anyone can be a favorite—like your mom, your boss, your best friend, or a coworker. When you add someone as a favorite, you see that person on the home page of People and can tap or click their picture to quickly email, call, or message them.

On Start, tap or click People.

Tap or click the tile with the star button.

Choose the person you want and tap or click Add.

Remove a favorite

On Start, tap or click People.

Tap or click the person you want to remove from favorites.

Tap or click Favorite. When you go back to the home page of the People app, you will no longer see this person under your list of favorites.

This removes the account from People, but doesn’t delete any contacts from the original account. You’ll still be able to get to them when you directly sign in to that account.

On Start, tap or click People.

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Settings.(If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Settings.)

Tap or click Accounts.

Select the account you want to remove.

Tap or click one Remove account, Remove all accounts or Manage this account online.

Note

Removing your Microsoft account (the account you use to sign in to Windows) will remove all your accounts from People, Mail, Calendar, and Messaging. You might want to hide those contacts instead of removing the account.

Social notifications and updates

All Windows RT 8.1 and Windows 8.1 PCs come with Skype installed and you can easily get in touch with someone on Skype from the People app. Here's how:

On Start, tap or click People.

Enter the name of a Skype contact (if you updated to Skype and signed in with your Microsoft account, your Messenger contacts should have automatically been added to the contact list). You'll see a list of contacts as you type—tap or click the one you want.

Tap or click how you want to contact them (send a message, call, or video call), and you're on your way.

You can post your own updates and write on someone's Facebook wall in the People app. You can also share links, photos, and messages to your social networks from other apps and websites. Here's how to update your Facebook status or compose a Tweet:

On Start, then tap or click People.

Tap or click Me.

In What's new, choose the social network you want to use, write your message, and tap or click the send button to post it on your wall.

Keep an eye on what’s new with your friends and family using the People app. When you connect your accounts, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, you’ll get all the latest updates, Tweets, and pictures in one place. You can write on someone's Facebook wall, comment on an update, or retweet a Tweet without switching to another app.

On Start, tap or click People.

Tap or click What's new.

You'll see recent updates and Tweets, and you can like, comment, and retweet.

You can also tap or click a person's name to write directly on their wall.